Vietnam's rapid economic growth, urbanisation and lifestyle changes have created a plastic pollution crisis. An estimated 3.1 million tons of plastic waste is dumped on land in Vietnam each year. At least 10% of this poorly managed waste ends up in our waterways, making Vietnam one of the top five sources of plastic pollution in the world's oceans. In a normal scenario, leak volumes could more than double by 2030.
Key findings:
Plastic waste accounts for the majority of litter found in river and coastal areas, accounting for 94% of the litter by total number of items and 71% by weight.
The 10 most common plastic products account for over 80% of all plastic waste that enters our waterways.
More than 60% of plastic products are single-use plastics
In the National Action Plan to Manage Marine Plastic Waste by 2030, Vietnam has set targets to reduce marine plastic waste by 50% by 2025 and 75% by 2030. Several steps have been taken, including a ban on the manufacture and import of household plastic bags by 2026 and a ban on most single-use plastic products by 2031.
The World Bank has proposed a policy to inform government efforts to reduce plastic pollution. A roadmap for reducing the use of the most common single-use plastic items (SUPs). The top three items are non-degradable plastic bags, expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers, and plastic straws. Other items are used in takeout, catering and tourism.
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